ENVIRONMENT POLICY ENERGY
As the ice melts, the Arctic
opens up to cargo ships
and energy firms
29 January 2014
by Rex Merrifield
Global warming could mean cargo ships will be crossing the Arctic to access the Pacific Ocean, avoiding the Panama Canal. ©
Shutterstock/ Aleksey Stemmer
The Nordic Orion became the first cargo ship to take the treacherous Northwest
Passage from the Pacific Ocean to Europe last year, and now its Danish
operators are planning more trips across the Arctic as the sea ice melts.
In September 2013, the ship carried 73 500 tons of coal from Vancouver, in Canada, to
Finland by cutting directly across the Arctic, shaving about four days off a trip which would
normally take it through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic.
The Nordic Orion is likely to be the first of many
ships to use the route as global warming reduces
the sea ice.
It is a trend that has caused concern among
environmental groups, who are worried about the
impact of pollution on the near-pristine Arctic
environment. The noise of ship engines cutting
through the Arctic Ocean will also irritate the
sensitive hearing of sea mammals such as
whales.
Researchers are now trying to evaluate the
environmental impact that the increasing access
will have on the Arctic’s vulnerable ecosystems,
so that they can guide policymakers as they seek
to regulate the region.
See also
Ozone depletion and
climate change – a
continuing challenge
From Europe and Asia,
countries head to Svalbard
to monitor the Arctic
Thawing permafrost could
release vast carbon
deposits, diseases
Cost of climate change in
Europe could reach 4 % of
GDP
Out on the ice – science in
the Arctic
It’s not only the prospect of more ships making
the Northwest Passage, but in recent years
researchers have also seen an increase in traffic
through the Northern Sea Route, which runs between Asia and Europe through Siberian Arctic
waters.
‘You may still have key passages or pivotal points where you have large ice masses or
blockages, so you may still need icebreakers to get through, though everything else may be
open,’ said Dr Michael Karcher, the assistant coordinator of the EU-funded ACCESS project,
which is monitoring the region.
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‘Our aim is to provide the science, the knowledge that
may help in making political decisions.’
Dr Michael Karcher, assistant coordinator of the EU-funded ACCESS
project
Vast deposits
The thinning ice also means better access to vast oil and gas deposits believed to be buried
under the seabed. The Arctic is estimated to have about a third of the world’s undiscovered
natural gas and 13 % of its undiscovered oil, and energy firms have already started drilling
into the ice.
The long-term trend is for the sea ice to continue melting due to global warming, meaning the
scramble to access these resources will only intensify. However, conditions in the Arctic can
vary widely over the next few decades, and that makes it tricky for policymakers to regulate.
That’s why the ACCESS project is focusing on the impact of climate change on oil and gas
extraction, transportation and sea life over the next 30 years.
‘We have long-term trends like reduced ice thickness,
increased warming and reduced ice extent, but at the
same time this overlaps with a very strong natural
variability, making it very difficult to make predictions over
the next few decades,’ said Dr Karcher.
Increased pollution caused by shipping traffic and oil and
gas production has significant implications for the Arctic
atmosphere, and could have an impact on climate
change itself. To find out what this impact might be, the
project is collecting data and measuring concentrations of
hydrocarbons and chemical and particle pollution in the
region.
Maritime jurisdiction and boundaries in
the Arctic region. © International
Boundaries Research Unit, Durham
University, UK
The melting ice is also likely to mean more fish farming in
the Arctic as higher temperatures provide suitable
conditions for expansion, the project said, while there
could also be a surge in the number of tourists who want
to experience the Arctic before any of its unique
characteristics disappear.
However, one of the biggest problems is that of
governance, as it is still unclear which countries have
jurisdiction over much of the Arctic. That makes it difficult
to regulate the region coherently.
ACCESS researchers have been developing proposals for ways to deal with potential
disagreements that may happen over jurisdiction or access to resources. For example,
various options over marine transport will be put to the Arctic Council and the International
Maritime Organization.
By the time it finishes in 2015, the project will pull together its findings into recommendations
for policymakers. ‘Our aim is to provide the science, the knowledge that may help in making
political decisions,’ Dr Karcher said.
More info
ACCESS
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